A Mid-Winter's Eve
by krose240
Summary: In the middle of a snowstorm in December 2011, Cora Wynters stumbles upon a mansion belonging to a mysterious man named Lucius Lawson who befriends her. It takes no time, though, for Cora to discover that things are not as they seem when it comes to Mr. Lawson.
1. Chapter 1

_December 2011_

The snowstorm had hit quite suddenly and I was very glad I'd taken the advice of the weather man and worn a jacket. However, it was doing me little to no good anyhow as the snow pelted me and soaked my clothes with ease. Of course it was just my luck that my car had broken down and wouldn't start again. Of course it was just my luck that I had broken down on the highway and had no choice but to trudge uphill in the snow to get to the nearest exit. And, of course it was just my luck that I couldn't get any cell service. Such was my life, bad luck piled on top of crappy luck and stacked atop the shittiest luck in the world.

Okay, maybe I was exaggerating. Either way, it was snowing like hell, I had no phone service, my car had broken down on the highway, and I was now both soaking wet and freezing. I was certain it couldn't get any worse. Clearly I was under the misconception that fate would finally decide to cut me some slack. It did anything but.

I spotted an exit up ahead and veered towards it, trudging down onto the service street where not a single car was in sight. I wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that this exit was so deserted, but I didn't have time to think about it. A good distance away I could just barely make out a faint light through the falling snow. Figuring there was nothing to lose, I made my way towards it.

I don't know what I was expecting to find, but it certainly wasn't a house, much less a mansion. It was then that I knew I was probably in some deep shit, but what else could I do but approach the front door of the mansion and knock?

For a long time I stood there, waiting for an answer. After a while I decided that no one was coming and began to leave, but was startled by the sound of the door opening.

"You knocked?" came a male voice. I hesitated a moment, then turned around to face the owner of the mansion. He looked to me, seemingly rather concerned that I'd even been out in this weather. His eyes were a beautiful emerald green and his silky black hair cascaded over his shoulders, fluttering slightly in the little wind that managed to make its way through the front porch area. He was dressed in black pants and a green button-up silk shirt. A gold watch adorned his pale hand and it took me a moment to regain my voice after laying eyes on such a stunning man as himself.

"I did," I finally said, sure my cheeks were red, not only from the cold, but from the embarrassment of intruding on someone like him.

The man looked around briefly, then sighed, stepping aside and holding the door open, motioning for me to enter. I hesitated and he looked me right in the eye and said, "I can't honestly leave you to die in the cold." At those words, I quickly ducked inside and he closed the door behind me, locking it.

The man sighed, going around in front of me and examining me. "You're soaked."

I frowned a bit and hung my head, feeling terrible for getting his floor wet. It was obvious that this place was always kept spotless and I hated to dirty the floor, or anything really.

"Take off your shoes, socks, and jacket," he said, "put your shoes by the door and give me the jacket and socks. I'll put them in the dryer."

I looked up in surprise at his words, but he had the best damn poker face I'd ever seen. I sighed a bit and did as I was told, removing my shoes, socks, and jacket. He took the jacket and socks and disappeared down the hall while I set my shoes by the door. He was back in an instant with a large green towel that he wrapped around my shoulders.

"I'm sorry to intrude, my car broke down and-"

"Don't worry about it," he said, smiling slightly, "I haven't had company in quite a while. You're welcome to stay as long as you need."

"Really?" I asked, "I mean, you don't even know me, why do you want to help me?"

"There have been many times I wished to have help myself, but no one offered it," the man said, "…what's that golden rule? 'Do unto others as you wish to be done unto you?'"

"That's it, yes," I said with a smile, "but I didn't realize that there were people in this world who actually cared to follow it."

The man placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and led me through the hall and into the kitchen where he pulled out a chair for me and told me to sit. I obeyed, exhausted from trudging through the snowstorm. As I did so, the man went to a cabinet and pulled out a coffee mug and prepared a cup of coffee. Once it was done, he went and placed the beverage before me before sitting down across from me at the table. I looked at the cup hesitantly, but when he motioned for me to drink it, I couldn't refuse. I took a sip of the steaming hot liquid and smiled as the heat travelled through my frozen limbs.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"You're welcome, Miss…" the man paused, as if suddenly realizing that he didn't know my name.

"Wynters," I said, "Cora Wynters."

The man grinned. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Wynters," he said, "…I am…Lucius Lawson, but you can call me Lucius, or Luc, whichever you prefer."

I smiled back and brushed my damp, golden hair from my face as I said, "It's a pleasure you meet you, Luc. And, um, you can just call me Cora."

Luc reached out and took my hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing my knuckles briefly, like any true gentleman would. "As you wish, Cora," he said. I couldn't help but blush as Luc said my name, his voice smooth as silk, and not to mention his distinct accent. If I'd had my wits about me, I would have realized that I shouldn't be getting so familiar with such a stranger. But, of course, as was my luck, and so was my fate sealed the moment I had set foot on Lucius Lawson's property.


	2. Chapter 2

_December 2011_

Lucius glanced out the kitchen window and sighed a bit. "The storm's getting worse," he stated, "we might be stuck here for a while."

"You really didn't have to take me in, you know," I said softly.

"What other choice did I have?" Luc asked, "Was I to leave you to die as you surely would have?"

I had no response and looked down at my half-empty mug of coffee with a sigh. Silence enveloped the room until I felt a cool hand touch my shoulder. I looked up in surprise and saw that Luc stood before me, holding out a pair of pajama pants and what looked to be one of his undershirts.

"Let me show you to the guest room so you can change out of your wet clothes," he said with a slight smile, "and into these."

"I…I couldn't," I objected, astonished by his hospitality. However, he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He took my hand and pulled me to my feet before beginning to lead me down the hall and towards the stairs.

"I don't know how I could ever thank you for all of this," I said softly.

"You don't need to," Luc replied.

"But surely there's a way I could express my gratitude?" I asked.

"Just let me treat you while you're here," Luc said, smiling, "your smile is thanks enough."

I smiled back and took the clothes as Luc handed them to me. He dropped my hand and reached forward, turning a doorknob to reveal an elegantly decorated bedroom with a king-sized bed and a gold color scheme. I could never manage to describe the beauty of the scene through words, but you can take my word, it was gorgeous.

"Change," Luc ordered, "when you have, bring your old clothes downstairs to the kitchen. I'll be waiting."

I just nodded as Luc turned to go. He disappeared down the hall and I slipped into the bedroom, closing the door behind myself.

* * *

I slipped quietly into the kitchen to find Lucius sipping a cup of coffee with the grace that I thought no man could possess. He glanced up as I entered and flashed me a smile. I returned the smile, then glanced down at the damp clothes in my arms. Luc stood and took the clothes from me with a grin.

"I'll go put these in the dryer," he said, disappearing from the room quickly.

When he returned, he found me standing by the window, watching the storm. He joined me by the window and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder. I turned my head to look at him, but he just continued to stare outside. I took this opportunity to get a good look at my host. Lucius was truly a beautiful man, unlike any I'd ever met before. He had this air of power about him, too, but I couldn't tell if it was just the luxurious mansion or something more that gave him that air.

It was then that he turned to me and met my eyes. He smirked slightly, as if amused by the fact that I'd been admiring him.

"It's getting late," Luc said, changing the subject, much to my relief, "why don't you head up to the guest room and get some rest?"

I nodded a little too quickly and said, "Yes…yes, that's a good idea." I turned to go, but Luc stopped me by grabbing my shoulder.

"Cora," he said, "sleep well." And with that he let go of me and I quickly made my way upstairs. Luc was a strange man, that much I was certain of.

* * *

I awoke the next morning to sunlight streaming through my bedroom window. I slipped out of bed and was surprised to find a set of clothes and a note on the dresser by the door. I picked up the note first and read it:

_These are for you. No need to thank me._

_-Lucius_

Luc was so considerate. I'd never met such a sweet and caring man. Setting the note aside, I picked up the clothes and quickly changed before heading downstairs. I made my way into the kitchen and smiled when I saw Luc sitting there with a cup of coffee in his hands. He smiled back and set down his cup, standing and going to pour a cup for me before I could stop him.

"Thank you," I said softly.

"You're more than welcome, Cora," Luc said, returning to the table and handing me my cup of coffee. We both sat down across from each other. Silence engulfed the room for a moment before Luc spoke again.

"The storm ended very early this morning," he said, "the snow is still on the ground, but otherwise everything has calmed down."

"That's good," I said softly, "…I don't think I ever got to tell you, but my car broke down last night on the highway."

"Then I'll call someone to get it and take it to a mechanic," Luc replied.

"Normally I'd object," I said softly, looking down at my coffee, "but you've already made it pretty clear that you're a stubborn man."

Lucius smiled brightly and said, "You're sharp, Cora. I like that."

"You kind of have to be sharp in my line of business," I stated.

"And what's your line of business?" Luc asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's kinda complicated," I said.

"Spill, Cora," Luc said.

I frowned slightly at his tone, but answered, "Well, I'm one of the people who devote themselves to exposing the secrets of some of the best magicians and illusionists of the day. Granted, I'm not nearly as successful in my field as others are, but I intend to become one of the best. There are people who make millions off this sort of thing. That's what I want to do."

Luc sat there a moment, pondering this. "So you expose illusionists for profit?"

"I just said that, yes," I said, glancing up at Lucius.

"Interesting," he said, taking a sip of his coffee. He said nothing more on the matter which unsettled me. Then again, I didn't exactly want to talk about my work, so I guess it was for the better.


	3. Chapter 3

_December 2011_

Lucius returned to the kitchen and flashed me a smile. "Your car's being taken care of as we speak," he said, "would you like to join me for a few hours while they fix it up?"

"Join you in doing what?" I asked, intrigued.

"I was hoping you would join me for lunch," he replied with a grin.

I felt my cheeks heat up a bit at his words and I quickly nodded. "I'd love to," I said.

Luc smiled and took my hand, helping me to my feet. "Wonderful," he purred, keeping hold of my hand and leading me through the house. We arrived in his garage and I was stunned by his selection of cars ranging from antiques to luxury sports cars and everything in between. I wondered briefly if Lucius had a larger fortune than the famed Tony Stark, but I pushed the thought aside as Lucius led me to a jet black Lamborghini.

"Seriously, what the hell do you do for a living?" I asked, "I'd kill to have one of these."

Luc just laughed at that and opened the door for me as I slipped into the car. He closed the door behind me and made his way around to the driver's side, slipping in and starting the car.

"I don't honestly believe that you would kill to have a Lamborghini," Lucius said with a smirk, pushing a button on the dashboard to open the garage door, "…you're too sweet for that."

"It's called exaggerating," I replied.

Luc didn't respond, simply pulled out of the garage and began down the road. I noticed that the roads were clear now, which was a surprise given that they'd been caked in snow only a few hours ago. I had to wonder if Lucius had something to do with it. I mean, it was obvious he probably had the money to hire people to move the snow. He could have had it done whenever he wanted.

"Do you like Italian?" Luc suddenly asked. I smiled brightly towards him and nodded as I replied, "I love it, especially spaghetti and meatballs…but only when they get the meatballs just right. Some places don't season their meatballs right and some overcook them."

"I hate it when that happens," Luc said, flashing me a smile and laughing a bit, "I know a place you'll love."

"It had better not be a five star place or I'll feel like I have to pay you back somehow," I warned.

Luc laughed. "No, it's a mom-and-pop joint," he said, "no need to pay me back for this."

* * *

Lucius held the door of the restaurant for me as I slipped inside. He followed me in and smiled brightly as a middle-aged woman came to greet him.

"Mr. Lawson, welcome back," said the woman, grinning from ear to ear, "how are you?"

"Couldn't be better, Francesca," Luc replied, hugging the woman briefly, "and what about you and Sergio?"

"Wonderful, as always," Francesca said as they pulled apart, "and who is this?" Francesca looked to me and smiled as Luc answered, "This is Cora Wynters. She's my guest today."

Francesca nodded and said to me, "I'm Francesca Salvatore. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Wynters." She returned her attention to Lucius and said, "Let me get you both a table and a menu."

"Actually, just the table and some water will do," Luc said, "we both want the spaghetti and meatballs."

Francesca nodded and turned, leading us over to a corner table by the window and flashing us a smile before turning to go give our order to the chef and fetch our water.

"So how do you know Francesca?" I asked.

Lucius laughed slightly and replied, "I come here a lot. I always leave them a generous tip. This place is truly the best Italian restaurant in town, but they get so little traffic. Francesca and Sergio always appreciate it when I come by."

"Billionaire, philanthropist," I listed, "a perfect combination, I think."

Luc nodded. "I agree," he said, "after all, if this money can't buy me happiness, I might as well use it to make others happy instead."

Francesca returned right then with their glasses of water and flashed the couple a smile before heading off towards the kitchen again. I didn't know what to say to Luc after what he'd just told me, so I took my glass of water and drank. Luc watched me intently and I tried to hide my blush. If the smirk on Luc's face was anything to go on, I failed miserably.

I glanced towards the door as I heard it open and watched as a couple walked in. The man was wearing a purple shirt and black pants and had dark hair and pale grey eyes. He was holding hands with his partner, a red-haired woman with short hair and green eyes. She was wearing a cute red blouse and black skinny jeans with red heels. They were very obviously on a date and I had to admit that they were a cute couple.

Francesca came out to greet them and smiled as she led them to a table of their own and placed menus before them. The woman smiled brightly at Francesca before turning her attention to her date as Francesca left. I knew it best not to stare, but they were intriguing. Lucius noticed that I was staring and turned to glance in the direction I was. He smiled a bit and returned his attention to me.

"They're a cute couple, yes?" he said. I nodded and turned to look at Lucius, smiling. "They are," I replied, "…there's something about them, though."

"Forget about them," Lucius said, smiling, "let's just enjoy our lunch, alright?"

"Okay," I agreed, returning the smile and glancing up in surprise as a plate of spaghetti and meatballs was placed before me by Francesca.

"Thank you," I said. Francesca smiled down at me and said, "Enjoy, you two." And with that she left Luc and I to enjoy our meal. I thought nothing else of the other couple for the duration of the meal.

And Luc had been right, this place was fantastic.


	4. Chapter 4

_December 2011_

Lucius opened the door of the Lamborghini for me and I slipped inside. He closed the door and made his way around to the driver's side and got in, flashing me a smile. He started the car and said, "They said your car would be ready by now. Would you like me to drop you off at the mechanic's?"

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment at having to part ways with Lucius so soon, "I guess, yeah."

Lucius reached over and took my hand, squeezing it gently before saying, "Tell you what. I'll drop you off at the mechanic's and you'll put your number in my phone. Fair deal?"

I blushed a bright pink at his words but quickly nodded. "Yeah," I said, "fair deal."

Lucius let go of my hand and slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out his phone and handing it to me before pulling out of the parking lot and beginning to drive off towards the mechanic. I opened a new contact and put in my phone number and address before saving the contact and setting Luc's phone in the cup holder.

We arrived at the mechanic's not long after and Luc shut off the car before stepping out and going around to get my door for me. He took my hand and helped me out. He kissed my knuckles sweetly before saying, "Just tell them you're the friend I mentioned. I've already covered the cost."

"You really didn't have to, Luc," I protested.

"But I did," Lucius replied, "it was only the right thing to do."

"Really, Luc, I have to do something to pay you back for all of this," I said.

Lucius smiled brightly and said, "Then I guess I'll see you Friday for our second date."

My eyes widened at Luc's words, but after a moment I found myself nodding. "A-alright," I agreed, "Friday…seven o'clock."

Luc smirked. "I'll pick you up," he said, winking at me before slipping back into the Lamborghini and driving off as I made my way inside the mechanic's shop. I had a date! A real date! With Luc! And to think that only a few hours earlier he'd been a stranger to me.

* * *

It was now Friday and I was sitting across from my best friend, Joshua Ray, in a local coffee shop. Josh always dyed his hair different colors. Today it was a jet black with a blue streak on the section that masked his right eye. He always had a thing for blue, I don't know what it was with him. In fact, he was even wearing a blue t-shirt today, along with his signature skinny jeans. Anyone else would think he was probably gay. I knew better, he was bi. I'd dated him once in high school, actually, but it hadn't worked out. I was so glad that we'd managed to stay friends all this time, though.

Josh sipped his coffee, watching me intently as I stirred up my own coffee. I hated to admit it, but I couldn't focus. All I could think of was my date with Lucius that night.

"Something on your mind, Cora?" Josh suddenly asked. I looked up from my coffee, rather surprised and he added, "You put in two more packets of sugar than usual and you've been stirring for about two minutes instead of your usual one."

I laughed a bit at Josh's perceptiveness and took a sip of my super sweet coffee. "Promise me you won't tell anyone," I said, "but I have a date tonight."

Josh grinned. "With who?"

"It's a long story, actually," I said.

"Nonsense," Josh replied, "I have time and so do you. Tell me."

I rolled my eyes a bit. "Fine," I said, "so, you know how we had that snowstorm on Tuesday?"

"Yeah, I was glad I was home when it hit," Josh said, nodding.

"Anyhow," I continued, "my car broke down in the middle of nowhere when it hit. I had no phone service, either. So I got out and figured I'd hike to the next exit. When I got off I found nothing but this large plot of land and a huge mansion. Having no better place to go, I made my way to the mansion and knocked on the door and, lo and behold, this man, Lucius Lawson, turns out to own the place. He took me in for the night, gave me clothes, paid to have my car fixed, took me out for lunch on Wednesday, and asked me on a date tonight."

"You're telling me you're going out with some ridiculously rich guy who you met three days ago?" Josh asked.

"What? Are you jealous?" I teased.

Josh blushed a bright pink, but shook his head. "No…I mean," he said, "okay, maybe a little. But that's not the point."

He reached over and took my hands before saying, "The point is, isn't this guy a little suspicious?"

"Well, yes," I admitted, "but if he'd wanted to do anything bad, he had the perfect chance Tuesday night and he passed it up. I think I'll be okay."

Josh shrugged. "I just wanted to be sure you knew what you were getting into," he said, "I mean, a mysterious…what is he, a millionaire? Billionaire? Whatever, mysterious rich guy…"

"Josh," I said, smiling, "relax. I'll be fine. You know I can take care of myself. Remember that time the guy from our high school football team tried to get me to make out with him?"

Josh laughed and nodded. "You're right," he said, "I'm sorry I worried. So, tell me, is he hot?"

"What do you take me for, a golddigger?" I asked with a laugh, "Of course he's hot."

"What's he look like?" Josh asked.

"For the record, if you're thinking about stealing him away from me," I said, "you can forget it."

Josh made a mock face of disappointment and said, "Darn."

And so, we passed the rest of our lunch talking about Lucius.

* * *

_**A/N: **__Hey there! Major brownie points to everyone who guessed the identity of the couple that came to the restaurant in Chapter 3. For those who still haven't guessed, it was Clint and Natasha. :P_


	5. Chapter 5

_December 2011_

_Knock, knock, knock._

I jumped slightly, surprised by the knocking at my door. A smile spread quickly across my face as I realized that it had to be Lucius at the door. I'd been pacing my apartment for half an hour by now so I was practically skipping with excitement as I made me way towards the front door. As I opened it, I was greeted by the brightest smile and a single yellow rose.

"Luc," I said, at a loss for any other words.

"A pleasure to see you again, Cora," Lucius replied, holding out the rose, "this is for you."

"Really?" I asked, "Why?"

Lucius just smirked. "Just take it," he said, "I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually."

I did as I was told and took the flower, setting it down on the coffee table without a second thought.

"Now then," Lucius said, offering his hand, "are you ready to go?"

I blushed slightly and glanced down at my outfit. It wasn't anything special, just a pair of skinny jeans that hugged me perfectly and a one shoulder blouse in a pale blue. I was also wearing matching blue heels and I had a dark leather jacket. I could never really tell if the jacket was blue, black, or brown, though I always thought it leaned towards blue.

Then I looked at Lucius. He looked pretty damn casual to me, but somehow he also looked so professional and powerful. I didn't get it. All he was wearing was a black jacket, a green button-up shirt, and a pair of jeans, but he probably could have just walked right on into the swankiest place in town without a second glance his way. I couldn't honestly describe the way he could make anything look high class, even jeans.

"Ready?" Lucius asked again, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah," I said, shrugging on my jacket and taking his hand, letting him lead me out of the apartment.

* * *

Lucius and I took our seats at the table we'd been led to. I was still a bit in shock that we'd been able to get a table with a snap of Luc's fingers. It was a Friday night and every restaurant was packed, especially this one, but one word from Lucius and we were seated right away. I was beginning to wonder who he really was and why he seemed to be able to get anything he wanted right when he wanted it. He was such a mystery to me.

The waiter placed a menu before both Lucius and I before leaving. I glanced at the menu, sighed, and looked to Luc. He raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong?" Lucius asked.

"I can't possibly allow you to pay for a meal this expensive," I said softly.

"Please, Cora," Luc said, reaching over and taking one of my hands in his own, "let me treat you."

"Why do you want to spoil me so badly?" I asked.

"I don't want to lose the only friend I'm likely to find in a long time," Luc said, "alright?"

"What makes you think you're going to lose me?" I asked, "You're a good man, you've done nothing to wrong me or anyone I know. Heck, if there's one reason you might lose me it's because you keep insisting on treating me like you do."

Lucius smiled brightly at that and gently squeezed my hand. "Alright," he said, "fine. Next time we'll go somewhere cheaper. Better?"

"Almost," I said, smirking just a bit, "what was it you said I was? Your friend?"

Luc smirked back and replied, "You caught that, did you?"

"You forget who you're talking to," I said, "…so, what am I to you, really?"

"Well, Cora," Luc said, "I think it's safe to say that you're my girlfriend. Am I right?"

"Cora Wynters," I said, "Lucius Lawson's girlfriend. Yes, I like the sound of that."

We both laughed and spent the rest of our meal chatting away about everything and nothing.

* * *

Lucius and I walked along the sidewalk, enjoying the sight of the city in the middle of winter. It was getting late now and nearly everyone had gone home, but Lucius didn't seem to mind that we were almost alone on the streets. He kept my hand clasped in his as we walked, almost as if he was afraid of letting go.

Something occurred to me then. Why was Lucius so concerned with keeping hold of me? Why was he so afraid he would lose me?

"Luc," I said softly, "…something's been bugging you…"

Luc looked to me in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that.

"Well," Luc said with a sigh, "…yes, something has been bugging me…"

"What is it?" I asked.

Lucius was silent for a moment as we walked. I watched him intently, waiting for him to speak.

"Cora," he said softly, "…I will have to leave soon. I don't know how long I'll be gone and I'm afraid that you won't be waiting for me when I get back."

"Why wouldn't I be waiting for you?" I replied.

"Because no one ever waits for me," Lucius said, "no one stands by my side."

"I'm not like everyone else, Lucius," I said.

"You're right," Luc said, "you're not…but-"

We rounded a corner and came face to face with the barrel of a gun.

"Shut up and give me your money," growled the thief, glaring at us. Lucius stood there in shock, unable to move. Fat lot of help he was.

"Put the gun down and we will," I said, staring the thief down.

"I'm not stupid," the thief said, "if I put the gun down, you'll run."

"So what if we run?" I said, "You'll have plenty of time to grab your gun again and shoot us. We'd be fools to run. Just put the gun down and we'll give you our money, alright?"

The thief thought about this for a moment, then nodded, carefully setting the gun down on the ground. His eyes widened in surprise when he stood up again and found himself face to face with the barrel of my own gun. I smirked at the thief.

"If you leave now, I won't report you and I won't shoot," I said, "but if you try _anything_, I will shoot. You got that?"

The thief, speechless, nodded and took a backwards step away from us.

"And, just a tip for next time you try to mug somebody," I added, "…don't."

The thief turned the corner and I listened as his footsteps died off into the distance before kneeling down and taking his gun. I slipped mine back into my jacket and examined the thief's gun.

"You're awfully silent over there, Luc," I said, pocketing the thief's gun and glancing over at Lucius.

"I was stunned," Luc admitted, "and then you…you have a gun?"

"Of course I do," I said, "I need some way to defend myself in situations like this. Fortunately that man wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. If he'd been a bit more clever…well, we'd have been, in a word, fucked."

"You just saved my life," Luc said.

"Well, I saved you from giving up whatever money you had in your wallet," I replied, "…unless you're truly stubborn enough that you would have refused to give it up."

"The second one," Lucius admitted.

"Then I guess I saved your life," I said, "…maybe you should start valuing me more than you value your money."


	6. Chapter 6

_December 2011_

A week passed and soon it was nearly Christmas. Lucius and I had grown very close in such a short span of time. Luc was true to his word and did his best not to spoil me and flaunt his money. I was grateful for that. I had learned over that past week that it wasn't the money that Lucius valued; it was the power it gave him. I honestly couldn't blame him for that, but it made me feel special that he was willing to give up the power his money bought him in favor of making me happy.

Luc and I spent as much time together as we could. We went on dates almost every other night. We didn't do anything fancy, just cheesy stuff like seeing a movie or having a coffee together. And I'd never been so happy.

Josh was constantly hounding me, begging to meet Luc so he could determine if he was trustworthy. I still hadn't told Lucius about Josh so I constantly had to convince Josh to relax and be patient. I was dreading introducing them to each other, but I knew it'd have to happen eventually. Well, before Christmas, actually.

* * *

"_Life is your restaurant,_

_And I'm your maitre d'._

_C'mon, whisper what it is you want,_

_You ain't never had a friend like me!_"

I glanced over at Lucius rather awkwardly across the table as I pulled my phone out. Despite my annoyance, I had to hand it to Josh; he had impeccable timing. Lucius gave me a slight nod and I flashed him a small smile before answering the call.

"Hey, Josh, I'm kind of busy right now," I said, averting my eyes from Lucius.

"_Too busy to grab a coffee with your best friend?_"

"Actually, yes, considering I just got a coffee five minutes ago with my _boyfriend_," I replied.

"_I'm sure your boyfriend wouldn't mind if I dropped by, would he?_"

"Josh, seriously," I said, "can't we do this another time?"

"_Heck no! You've been keeping this Lucius guy such a mystery for over a week and I wanna meet him. You're at the usual coffee shop, right?_"

"Well, yes, but that's-"

"_See ya in five!_"

I opened my mouth to respond, but closed it in annoyance when the call ended. "He hung up on me," I mumbled, baffled by the sudden turn of events.

Luc raised an eyebrow as I glanced his way. "Care to explain what that was about?"

I frowned and replied, "My best friend, Josh, is on his way here. He's insistent that he meets you."

"And you don't want him to meet me?" Lucius asked.

"Well, yeah," I admitted, "…how do I explain this? Josh is a bit like an overbearing parent…"

Luc smirked a bit at that. "Don't worry, Cora," he said, reaching over and taking my hand, "I'll behave so he won't be hounding you to get rid of me."

I laughed at that, mostly because that was exactly what I expected Josh to do after meeting Luc. "Good luck with that," I replied, glancing over my shoulder as the door to the coffee shop opened. I rolled my eyes slightly as Josh flashed a smile at me and made his way over to our table.

"You said five minutes," I said, shooting him a playful glare.

Josh just laughed and pulled up a chair as he replied with a smirk, "I lied."

Luc laughed a bit at that and looked to me. "So, aren't you going to introduce us, Cora?"

Josh elbowed me and teased, "Yeah, aren't you going to introduce us, Wynters?"

I glanced at each of them in turn and shook my head in amusement before saying, "Josh, this is Lucius Lawson, my boyfriend. Luc, this is Joshua Ray, my best friend. Happy now?"

Lucius smirked and held a hand out to Josh. "Very much so," he replied as Josh took his hand and they shook.

"Cora never stops talking about you," Josh said, "she's obsessed."

"Josh!" I exclaimed, blushing furiously as the two men shared a laugh.

"She's cute when she's embarrassed, isn't she?" Luc said with a grin, bringing my hand to his lips and kissing it in a subtle attempt to make up for the teasing. I couldn't help but smile at that.

Josh just smiled slightly in response. "So, Cora mentioned you're rich?"

Luc laughed and glanced at me. I gave a shrug and replied, flashing Josh a wicked smile, "He's trying to gather information so he can steal you away from me. Don't fall for his tricks…he's just a gold-digger."

* * *

We all shared a laugh at that and made casual small talk for a while, Josh and Lucius doing their best to get to know each other. It was kind of scary how quickly Josh and Luc came to be friends. In fact, Josh even agreed to having Christmas over at Luc's place, which was a huge go-ahead from the guy if I ever saw one.

I wish I could say that the time leading up to Christmas was eventful, but it was actually pretty casual and…average, surprisingly. In fact, even Christmas day wasn't all that special aside from being able to spend a whole day with my best friend and my boyfriend and opening presents (leave it to the billionaire to go overboard on the presents). Actually, the only story left worth telling from December 2011 is what happened on New Year's Eve…

* * *

_**A/N:**__ Sorry my updates are slow…I've got far too many stories to update and not enough time…hopefully things will pick up when school starts and I have a netbook so I can write more during the day. Anyhow, I'll do my best to get the next chapter out soon. It's the last one before this story skips ahead to 2012, after the events of The Avengers._


	7. Chapter 7

_December 2011_

It had snowed earlier in the day and by now the sun had gone down. The roads were slippery and thankfully empty as I drove back to my apartment, having just picked up the cake I'd ordered for tonight's celebration from the store. Josh was already there, setting up decorations, and Lucius had said he'd arrive just as soon as he could get out of some meeting. I couldn't have been more excited about tonight. That's when the night took a turn for the worse.

I slammed on my brakes and almost skidded off the road before finally slowing to a complete stop. Up ahead, Lucius was being held at gunpoint. I scrambled out of the car, stuffing my hand in my coat and grabbing my own pistol. They hadn't even noticed me. They were so entranced in whatever was going on between them. I knew an advantage when I saw one and made my way over, careful to stay out of the gunman's line of sight.

"Thanos is tired of waiting," growled the gunman, "…he needs an answer. Are you in or are you out?"

"He's waited this long," Lucius said, glaring, "he can wait a few more days."

"I have orders," the gunman said.

"Do you have any idea who you're dealing with?" Lucius asked.

"I believe the real question is," the gunman replied, "do _you_? Thanos needs you, and if you won't agree…let's just say he has a way with words much like you, _Silvertongue_."

The gunman jabbed the barrel of his gun against Luc's chest, causing Luc to stumble back a few steps. I took that as my cue, knowing I had to intervene. This was going to hell fast, whatever this was.

I stepped into view, my gun in my hand at my side, and said, "Hey, Trigger Happy!"

Luc's green eyes went wide at the sound of my voice and he whipped his head around to look at me just as the gunman did.

"Step away from him," I ordered.

The gunman smirked and let out a laugh. "Make me," he taunted, instantly slipping an arm around Luc's neck and holding the barrel of his gun against Luc's skull. Luc didn't struggle, just stared at me with worry etched across his pale face.

I raised my gun and cocked it, quirking an eyebrow at the gunman.

"You shoot, so do I," he warned. I just smirked.

"I'm not an idiot," I replied, "from what I heard, your boss needs him alive, which means that you're definitely not going to shoot him. Now me, I will shoot, but I'm going to give you five seconds to decide whether I'll need to. All you have to do is drop the gun and walk away and nobody gets hurt."

The gunman paused a beat, then began, "What if I-" But he was cut off by the sound of a gunshot.

"Wrong choice," I said, glaring down at the man who was now hunched over on the ground, cradling his right leg, a gaping hole in his knee.

"Cora, we have to go, right now," Lucius said, grabbing my arm rather roughly and hauling me off towards my car as fast as he could.

"Luc, let me go," I exclaimed, "what's going on?"

"It's…it's complicated, Cora," Luc said, refusing to release his hold on me.

"Then uncomplicate it!" I cried.

Luc frowned and stopped, dropping my arm and looking away. "Cora, please, there are things you don't need to know…"

"Luc," I replied, "I just saved your fucking life. That lunatic might have killed you if I hadn't stepped in!"

"He wasn't going to," Luc said, adding in a softer voice, "…but Thanos might."

"Please, Luc," I begged, "tell me what's happening."

Luc turned and looked at me, finally looked at me, and sighed, taking my hands in his own. "I can't, Cora," he said, "…you'd never believe me. And…I can't…I can't get you involved in this."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Cora, this man, Thanos, will likely kill me if I don't agree to his deal," Luc said, "I can't have anyone knowing who you are to me…what you mean to me…"

"Then promise me you'll explain once this all blows over," I replied.

Luc smiled slightly at that, taking my right hand in both of his own and turning it to face up. He gently ran his hands over it before bringing it up to his lips and kissing each of the fingers sweetly.

"I promise, Cora," he whispered, pulling me close, his left hand clasped tightly around my right.

"It's…pretty cold out here," I said softly.

Luc nodded. "Right," he said as we began again towards my car. When we reached it, he held the passenger door for me and got in the driver's seat himself, heading off towards my apartment. Even with the heater on full blast I still felt cold…

* * *

I sat on the couch, curled up in a blanket while Lucius cut up the cake. Josh was rummaging around for paper plates and plastic forks and the New Year's celebration was on TV. I was still cold, but I wasn't going to say anything. I didn't need overprotective Josh right now, much less overprotective Lucius.

Soon enough, Lucius and Josh joined me on the couch, Lucius beside me and Josh on the other side of Lucius, devouring a piece of cake. Luc offered me a piece and I took it with a small smile, beginning to eat while time ticked by. As the countdown reached zero, Lucius took my hand and pulled me into an adoring kiss. When he pulled back, he turned to whisper in my ear, "Happy New Year, Cora. You're gonna have one hell of a year."

* * *

_June 2012_

"The next morning, I awoke to find a note on the kitchen table from Lucius," I said, "saying that he'd stayed as long as he could, but he needed to go and wouldn't be back for a long time. He told me to wait for him, that he'd return for me once he could."

"And what about those…_abilities_ you developed?" Coulson asked.

I was taken aback by the question. "How did you-?"

"We have our ways, Agent Wynters," Coulson replied.

I shook my head slightly. After working for SHIELD for over five months I should have known that there was little to nothing that could be hidden from them. Unless you were Tony Stark…

"Those first appeared to me around a week after Lucius left," I said, "actually, I first noticed something was off when I stopped feeling cold. Then from there it progressed to instantly cooling my coffee by accident all the way to forming ice of my own will from the moisture in the air."

"So you can freeze things?" Coulson asked.

"Put simply, yes," I replied.

"Do you have any idea how you might have gained these abilities?" Coulson asked.

"Not a clue," I admitted with a sigh.

"I think I might have an idea," came a woman's voice over the intercom of the interrogation room. Seconds later, a redheaded woman in black skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a red biker's jacket strolled in. A dark blonde man entered right behind her and I instantly recalled where I'd seen them before.

"You're that couple from the Italian restaurant," I said.

"Agent Wynters," Coulson said, "this is Agent Romanoff and Agent Barton, a.k.a. Black Widow and Hawkeye of the Avengers."

"How could you possibly have any kind of idea of how I got my powers?" I asked, "I've only ever seen you both once."

"Once was all I needed to piece this together," Agent Romanoff said, laying a file that I hadn't noticed was in her hand on the table. She pulled it open and pointed to the photo, glancing towards me.

"Tell me," she said, "who do you think this is?"

"It's Luc," I said, "…but why is he dressed so strangely?"

"Cora," Coulson said, "…Lucius Lawson doesn't exist. This is Loki Laufeyson, the man who tried to destroy New York and enslave humanity."

"He was lying to you the whole time," Barton said, but Agent Romanoff shook her head.

"No, he can't have been lying to her, aside from the name," she said, "…if he had been lying to her, he never would have trusted her enough to gift her with her abilities."

"Hold on a second," I said, standing up, "you're telling me that Luc is really the mad god Loki and he used some sort of magic to give me my powers?"

"Yes," the trio answered in unison.

"You're insane," I replied, "the lot of you!"

"Actually, if I may add a bit of input myself," came a male voice, "I think it makes perfect sense."

"And who are you to talk?" I asked. The man strolled in with a slight smile on his face, his glasses halfway down his nose and his brown hair a curly mess atop his head.

"If I were in his place and I was about to go do something stupid just to save my own skin," the new man said, "I'd definitely want someone I could trust to return to. And if I felt they might be in danger, I'd leave them with some way to protect themselves."

"Dr. Banner," Coulson said, "aren't you and Stark busy locating our fugitive?"

"Stark is," Dr. Banner said, "he insisted I quit nagging him about getting food or sleeping."

I slowly sat back down, a thousand things running through my head. Lucius was Loki, the god of mischief and lies. He'd chosen me to be the person he could trust, the person he could return to. He'd gone and attacked New York because some bastard Thanos had told him to and threatened his life.

"Where is Lu-_Loki _now?" I asked suddenly, glancing up at the group.

"That's the problem, Agent," Coulson said, "we don't know."


End file.
